Qing 1st Army

The 1st Army was a field army established in October 1911 by the Qing Dynasty in response to the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising. It was one of the three field armies formed on October 14 by the Qing court, for the purpose of being sent south to fight the revolt. The 1st Army consisted of several units from the elite Beiyang Army, the imperial government's crack troops, and was placed under the command of Army Minister Yinchang. In November, Yuan Shikai returned to active duty and was placed in command of the 1st Army. It numbered about 25,000 men, the equivalent of two divisions. The 1st Army was demobilized in December 1911.